Weddingbee Blog

I originally posted about gowns here.

Recently, Mrs. Lab posted about her eBay find; she found a replica Jim Hjelm dress for $699.

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When I first talked about a dress, I had decided to search for a short gown for practical purposes. But this dress is my dream dress. It’s got lace, it’s a trumpet-style cut, shows off the girls nicely, and has a deep v-cut back. I became obsessed with v-cut backs since Mrs. Cherry Pie posted about altering her gown. I never wanted something big and poufy with a lot of tulle. I was in awe of this replica…it was perfect.

I sent my mom the link to the blog post because my parents are generously footing the bill for our shindig. I had her read it; I knew she would have some reservations, and I did, too, because we are not online shoppers. I believe I’ve mentioned that I like to able to see and touch what I’m buying. I was nervous she wouldn’t like the style on top of that. Well, the answer was a big, fat NO, but not for any of the reasons I thought.

She said the dress was too expensive.

I explained to her that the average dress is $800–$1,500 for non-high-end designers. At $699, I thought this replica was a steal. But it’s not my place to try and convince the person who is paying for the wedding to spend more than she thinks she should, so I dropped it.

When I talked to Mr. Glasses about this, he immediately suggested we should cover the difference of what my mom is willing to pay using our savings. I feel uncomfortable about this because our savings is what we’re supposed to be using while we are unemployed, and because the dress is a risk in the first place. If the quality of the dress isn’t up to par or the fit is all wrong, we’d be wasting our precious yen.

So if this dream dress is out, here are the top contenders:

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This Oleg Cassini for David’s Bridal gown for $550. My mom likes the idea of David’s Bridal. Again, this is a very practical dress—it would look great on anyone, it’s short, and it’s the appropriate formality for a backyard wedding. It’s pretty, isn’t it?

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This BCBG dress for $298. My mom also likes BCBG, so I know she’d go for this. Here’s the dress in action, from Style Me Pretty:

Neither of these dresses matches my description of my dream dress. I’m “settling” for something practical and budget friendly. The thought of that is a little depressing; shouldn’t I feel like I have the perfect wedding dress on my wedding day? But David’s Bridal and BCBG are definitely the safe bets. I could try them on the second I get to L.A., decide, and have any alterations rushed.

I am curious: has anyone had any experience with buying a wedding dress online? Or know someone who has? I still haven’t ruled the replica eBay dress out.